A World War II pilot who advertised joyrides in his prized 1968 Cessna crashed on Sunday,killing five other passengers as the local Lions Club finished a charity breakfast at his privateairport.
Gene Damschroder Sr., 86, was flying the fixed-wing, single-engine plane when it crashed in aresidential area about 1 p.m., the Ohio State Highway Patrol said. No one on the ground was injuredand no buildings were damaged.
Witnesses said they say saw the plane crash in a field less than a mile from the airport.
Red Haslinger, who lives nearby and was among the first to reach the scene, said apair of explosions happened after the plane stopped.
"To me, it was a total sense of helplessness - a helpless situation - because I knew peoplewere in that plane," Haslinger said.
"Gene was a heck of a good guy; there is no doubt," Haslinger said. "This whole family is agiver to this community. They're totally involved in this community."
Damschroder was a former state lawmaker who taught flight lessons in this northern Ohiocounty.
"He's been flying since World War II. He's been flying for sixty years," his son, RexDamschroder said. "He's been instructing daily and flying daily since World War II. Flying was hislife."
Federal records indicate he was a certified flight instructor and was licensed to fly bothsingle- and multi-engine planes.
"He's flown enough; this is puzzling," his son said of the crash.
Ohio State High Patrol Lt. Tony Bradshaw said it was too early to tell what caused the crash.The National Weather Service said there was no severe weather in the area at the time.
The Lions Club of Fremont on Sunday had a fly-in breakfast, inviting nearby pilots to fly toFremont Airport and display their planes.
After the event, Damschroder offered visitors a chance to go up in planes for the cost offuel, according to a poster at the airport.
Authorities could not confirm that those on board had taken Damschroder up on his offer. Alsoflying with him were Bill Ansted, 62; Allison Ansted, 23; Danielle Gerwin, 31; Emily Gerwin, 4; andMatt Clearman, 25.
"It was just kind of an accident. He was giving airplane rides. He always gives charity airrides," said Rex Damschroder, who was not at the airport when the plane crashed.
"Someone said they heard the engine sputter," he said. "The next thing we knew they were downin a field in a residential area."
Federal investigators were on their way to the crash site, Bradshaw said.
Damschroder served in the state House from 1973 to 1983 as a Republican. Rex Damschroderlater served the same seat from 1995 to 2003.
